Camera with improved mechanical stability

ABSTRACT

Described herein is a sensor device. The sensor device includes a housing with a front plate and a back plate. The front plate includes mounting holes and the back plate includes second mounting holes and alignment holes. The sensor device includes a printed circuit board encased by the housing, wherein the printed circuit board comprises an image sensor, an image sensor processor, and a serializer.

BACKGROUND

A vehicle such as an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle can include amyriad of sensors that provide continuous streams of sensor datacaptured from a surrounding environment of the vehicle. For example, anautonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle can include cameras, lightdetection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors, radars, Global Positioning System(GPS) devices, sonar-based sensors, ultrasonic sensors, accelerometers,gyroscopes, magnetometers, inertial measurement units (IMUs), and farinfrared (FIR) sensors. Such sensor data can enable an autonomousvehicle to perform a number of driving functions that would otherwise beperformed by a human operator. These driving functions can, for example,include various vehicle navigation tasks such as vehicle accelerationand deceleration, vehicle braking, vehicle lane changing, adaptivecruise control, blind spot detection, rear-end radar for collisionwarning or collision avoidance, park assisting, cross-trafficmonitoring, emergency braking, and automated distance control. Thefunctions and implementations of these sensors will become increasinglyimportant to support vehicles of increasing levels of autonomy.

SUMMARY

Described herein, in some embodiments, is a sensor device. The sensordevice may comprise a housing that includes a front plate and a backplate. The front plate comprises one or more first mounting holes. Theback plate comprises one or more second mounting holes and alignmentholes. The sensor device further comprises a printed circuit boardencased by the housing. The printed circuit board comprises an imagesensor, an image sensor processor, and a serializer. In someembodiments, the sensor device may comprise only a single printedcircuit board.

In some embodiments, the front plate further comprises an indentationthat extends into a portion of the front plate in a depth direction,wherein the indentation is disposed at a corner of the front plate.

In some embodiments, the indentation further comprises a semicircularregion flanked by a first flat region at a first junction and a secondflat region at a second junction.

In some embodiments, the first junction intersects a first planetraversing a center of a first mounting hole and a second center of asecond mounting hole; the second junction intersects a second planetraversing the center of the first mounting hole and a third center of athird mounting hole; and the second plane is perpendicular to the firstplane.

In some embodiments, the first mounting hole, the second mounting hole,and the third mounting hole are through holes that extend, in the depthdirection, through a remainder of the portion of the front platestarting from a plane at which the indentation is terminated.

In some embodiments, the front plate further comprises a camera barreland the camera barrel extends outward from the front plate and includesa lens mount; and the lens mount is a thread hole on which a lens isattached.

In some embodiments, the lens includes at least one of a telephoto lens,a wide-angle lens, or a zoom lens.

In some embodiments, the front plate further comprises a gasket to seala gap between the back plate and the front plate.

In some embodiments, the front plate further comprises threaded holesdisposed at a top of the front plate on which a cleaner, a polarizer, ora diffractor is attached.

In some embodiments, the back plate is coupled to a connector plate towhich a Power over Coax (PoC) cable is pigtailed; and comprises a gasketto seal a gap between the connector plate and the back plate.

In some embodiments, the one or more mounting holes are fitted with M4screws.

In other embodiments, a sensor device may comprise a housing and aprinted circuit board encased by the housing. The printed circuit boardmay comprise, on a top surface, an image sensor; an image sensorprocessor; and a serializer, wherein the image sensor processor isdisposed in between the image sensor and the serializer along a verticalaxis.

In some embodiments, the image sensor is centered with respect to acentral vertical axis that bisects a surface of the printed circuitboard into two equal portions; and offset from a central horizontalaxis. The central horizontal axis bisects the surface of the printedcircuit board into two equal second portions and is perpendicular to thecentral vertical axis.

In some embodiments, the image sensor processor is disposed in betweenthe image sensor and the serializer along a horizontal axis; and ahorizontal distance between a center of the image sensor processor andthe image sensor is greater than a horizontal distance between a centerof the serializer and the image sensor processor.

In some embodiments, the printed circuit board further comprises exposedsurfaces disposed at corners of the printed circuit board, the exposedsurfaces transferring heat generated by the image sensor, the imagesensor processor, and the serializer to the housing, and each of theexposed surfaces comprising an installation hole and at least one of theexposed surfaces comprising an alignment hole, wherein a first of theexposed surfaces extends farther vertically along the vertical axiscompared to at least one other exposed surface.

In some embodiments, a second of the exposed surfaces extends fartherhorizontally along a horizontal axis compared to at least one otherexposed surface.

In some embodiments, the installation hole at each of the exposedsurfaces is: horizontally aligned such that a horizontal plane traversesa center of the installation hole and a second center of a secondinstallation hole; and vertically aligned such that a vertical planetraverses a center of the installation hole and a third center of athird installation hole.

In some embodiments, the alignment hole is offset horizontally andvertically from the installation holes.

In some embodiments, one of the exposed surfaces extends a horizontaldistance longer than a horizontal length of the serializer.

In some embodiments, each of the exposed surfaces comprise asemicircular region flanked by a first flat region at a first junctionand a second flat region at a second junction.

In other embodiments, a sensor device may comprise a housing and aprinted circuit board encased by the housing. The printed circuit boardmay comprise an image sensor that captures image data, an image sensorprocessor that processes the image data, a serializer that converts oneor more data channels associated with the image data into a single datachannel, and one or more exposed surfaces. The one or more exposedsurfaces may transfer heat generated by the image sensor, the imagesensor processor, and the serializer from the printed circuit board tothe housing.

In some embodiments, the housing comprises a front plate and a backplate, and the printed circuit board is secured to the front plate ofthe housing.

In some embodiments, the one or more exposed surfaces are disposed ateach corner of the printed circuit board.

In some embodiments, each of the one or more exposed surfaces includes athrough hole, the through hole being an installation hole.

In some embodiments, the printed circuit board is secured to a frontplate of the housing through mechanical fasteners at the one or moreexposed surfaces.

In some embodiments, at least one of the exposed surfaces include asecond through hole, the second through hole being an alignment hole.

In some embodiments, the printed circuit board further comprises aplurality of conducting layers that conduct signals associated with theimage sensor, the image sensor processor, and the serializer; and aplurality of non-conducting layers disposed between the plurality ofconducting layers, wherein the plurality of non-conducting layersinsulate the plurality of conducting layers.

In some embodiments, the printed circuit board further comprises: aplurality of heat conducting channels disposed underneath the imagesensor, the image sensor processor, and the serializer.

In some embodiments, the plurality of heat conducting channels comprisechannels extending through a depth of the printed circuit board andpenetrate through the plurality of conducting layers and the pluralityof non-conducting layers.

In some embodiments, the plurality of heat conducting channels areinsulated from the plurality of conducting layers.

In some embodiments, the plurality of heat conducting channels iscoupled to a conducting layer of the plurality of conducting layers, andwherein the conducting layer is insulated from other conducting layersof the plurality of conducting layers.

In some embodiments, the conducting layer is coupled to the one or moreexposed surfaces of the printed circuit board.

In some embodiments, the plurality of heat conducting channels comprisecopper channels.

In some embodiments, the printed circuit board further comprises athermal compound that transfers the heat generated by the image sensor,the image sensor processor, and the serializer from the printed circuitboard to the housing.

In some embodiments, the thermal compound is applied to an underside ofthe printed circuit board at a location corresponding to the imagesensor, the thermal compound making contact with a back plate of thehousing.

In some embodiments, the thermal compound is applied to a top side ofthe image sensor processor, the thermal compound making contact with afront plate of the housing.

In some embodiments, the thermal compound is applied to a top side ofthe serializer, the thermal compound making contact with a front plateof the housing.

In some embodiments, the image sensor is disposed on the printed circuitboard and: centered with respect to a central vertical axis that bisectsa surface of the printed circuit board; and offset from a centralhorizontal axis that bisects the surface of the printed circuit boardand is perpendicular to the central vertical axis.

In some embodiments, the image sensor processor is disposed on theprinted circuit board and: centered with respect to a central horizontalaxis that bisects the surface of the printed circuit board; and offsetfrom a central vertical axis that bisects the surface of the printedcircuit board and is perpendicular to the central horizontal axis.

In some embodiments, the serializer is disposed on the printed circuitboard and: offset from a central vertical axis that bisects a surface ofthe printed circuit board; and offset from a central horizontal axisthat bisects a surface of the printed circuit board and is perpendicularto the central vertical axis.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a methodimplemented by a system as described above.

These and other features of the apparatuses, systems, methods, andnon-transitory computer readable media disclosed herein, as well as themethods of operation and functions of the related elements of structureand the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will becomemore apparent upon consideration of the following description and theappended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all ofwhich form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts in the various figures. It is to beexpressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes ofillustration and description only and are not intended as a definitionof the limits of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Certain features of various embodiments of the present technology areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. A betterunderstanding of the features and advantages of the technology will beobtained by reference to the following detailed description that setsforth illustrative embodiments, in which the principles of the inventionare utilized, and the accompanying drawings of which:

FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate a camera in accordance with various embodimentsof the present inventions.

FIG. 1C illustrates a connector plate of the camera in accordance withvarious embodiments of the present inventions.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a camera system in accordance withvarious embodiments of the present inventions.

FIG. 3A illustrates a circuit board associated with the camera inaccordance with various embodiments of the present inventions.

FIG. 3B illustrates a front plate of the camera in accordance withvarious embodiments of the present inventions.

FIG. 3C illustrates the front plate of the camera with a printed circuitboard installed in accordance with various embodiments of the presentinventions.

FIG. 4A illustrates a cross-sectional view of the printed circuit boardof the camera in accordance with various embodiments of the presentinventions.

FIG. 4B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the camera in accordancewith various embodiments of the present inventions.

FIG. 4C illustrates a cross-sectional view of the printed circuit boardof the camera in accordance with various embodiments of the presentinventions.

FIG. 5 illustrates a sensor structure of an autonomous vehicle inaccordance with various embodiments of the present inventions.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a computer system upon which anyof the embodiments described herein may be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Cameras used in autonomous applications, such as in autonomous vehicles,generally have a stacked printed circuit board (PCB) architecture. Incameras with a stacked PCB architecture, circuit boards of similar sizesand dimensions are arranged adjacent to one another in a camera housing.Cameras with a stacked PCB architecture may have many drawbacks. Onesuch drawback is thermal performance. In cameras with a stacked PCBarchitecture, because circuit boards are arranged adjacent to oneanother, heat generated by electronic components such as sensors andprocessors on the circuit boards needs to be transferred or dissipatedfrom one circuit board to a next circuit board until the heat reaches aheat sink. Such a heat dissipation scheme may not be ideal because heatdissipation through circuit boards is not thermally efficient. Anotherdrawback is alignment performance. Cameras with a stacked PCBarchitecture generally lack integrated mount points that allow thecameras to be directly secured or installed to a surface such as astructure of a vehicle. To do so, custom brackets or adapters may beneeded to secure the cameras to the surface. Under this configuration,the cameras held in place by the custom brackets may become loose overtime and shift from their original secured or installed locations,thereby causing camera misalignment. Yet another drawback is electricalperformance. As mentioned above, in cameras with a stacked PCBarchitecture, circuit boards are arranged adjacent to one another. Thus,to allow communication between the circuit boards, interconnects areused. Interconnects are connectors with ribbon cables or wires thatcarry signals between the circuit boards. When signals travel or gothrough an interconnect, signal integrity and quality decrease.Therefore, for cameras with a stacked PCB architecture, additionalsignal conditioning circuits may be needed to compensate for losses insignal integrity.

Described herein are solutions that address the problems discussedabove. In various embodiments, the present inventions can include acamera designed for use in autonomous applications such as in autonomousvehicles or robotics. The camera can include a camera housing comprisinga front plate and a back plate. A circuit board such as a printedcircuit board or PCB associated with the camera can be housed within orencased by the camera housing between the front and back plates. Byadapting a single PCB architecture, the present inventions avoid theelectrical performance drawback described above by eliminating the needfor interconnects. In some embodiments, the camera housing can includeone or more mounting holes, one or more alignment holes, one or moreadaptor holes, and a lens mount. The one or more mounting holes arethrough holes that can be used to secure or install the camera to astructure such as a sensor structure of an autonomous vehicle. Forexample, mechanical couplers or fasteners such as screws, nuts and boltscan be used to secure the camera to the structure through the one ormore mounting holes. By integrating mounting holes into the camerahousing, the present inventions eliminate the need for custom bracketsto secure the camera, while ensuring that all six degrees of freedom ofmovements are secured. The one or more alignment holes can aid inaligning the camera to the structure. For example, a sensor structure ofan autonomous vehicle may have one or more alignment pins at a locationcorresponding to a camera alignment location. In this example, thecamera can be aligned to the camera alignment location on the sensorstructure by resting the one or more alignment holes of the camera ontothe one or more alignment pins. In some cases, the one or more alignmentholes can lock the camera in place and prevent the camera from shiftingor drifting over time. For example, assume that screws holding down thecamera to the sensor structure become loose over time. In this example,because the camera is installed to the sensor structure over the one ormore alignment pins, the one or more alignment pins prevent the camerafrom shifting out of the camera alignment location. The one or moreadaptor holes are threaded holes on which various enhancementapparatuses can be installed. The enhancement apparatuses can addadditional capability or functionality to the camera. The lens mount isa protrusion that allows various lenses to be installed or mounted tothe camera.

In some embodiments, the circuit board can include electronic componentsassociated with the camera. The electronic components can be surfacemounted and soldered onto specific locations on the circuit board. Insome embodiments, the electronic components can include at least animage sensor to capture image data, an image sensor processor to processthe image data, and a serializer to output the image data in a singledata channel such as a high-speed data channel for processing. In someembodiments, the circuit board can include a plurality of heatconducting channels or thermal vias disposed underneath the electroniccomponents. The thermal vias are metal channels within the circuit boardthat facilitate dissipation of heat generated by the electroniccomponents by conducting the heat away from the electronic components.In some embodiments, the circuit board can further include one or moreexposed surfaces at corners of the circuit board. The one or moreexposed surfaces are coupled to the thermal vias. The one or moreexposed surfaces can further dissipate the heat generated by theelectronic components away from the circuit board to the camera housing.Additionally, the circuit board may be secured to the camera housingusing the one or more alignment pins. The present inventions aredescribed in greater detail herein.

FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate a camera 100 in accordance with variousembodiments of the present inventions. FIG. 1A provides a top view, aside view, and two isometric views of the camera 100. FIG. 1B provides afront view and a back view of the camera 100. In some embodiments, asshown in FIG. 1A, the camera 100 can include a camera housing 102 and acircuit board (not shown) housed within or encased by the camera housing102. The camera housing 102 can be made from any suitable materials. Forexample, the camera housing 102 can be made from anodized aluminum,carbon steel, stainless steel, ceramic, plastic, or any other suitablematerials that can provide mechanical, structural, and/or environmentalprotection to the circuit board. The camera housing 102 can befabricated using various fabrication technologies including but notlimited to three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies.

In some embodiments, the camera housing 102 can comprise a front plate104 and a back plate 106. The front plate 104 can include one or moremounting holes 148, 158, 168, and 178 and the back plate 106 can includeone or more mounting holes 149, 159, 169, and 179, through which thecamera 100 can be mounted. For example, the camera 100 can be secured orinstalled to a structure using mechanical couplers such as screws ornuts and bolts through the one or more mounting holes 148, 158, 168,178, 149, 159, 169, and 179. The one or more mounting holes 148, 158,168, 178, 149, 159, 169, and 179 can be through holes that are disposednear corners of the front plate 104 and the back plate 106 at samerespective locations. In this way, when the front plate 104 and the backplate 106 are assembled into the camera housing 102, pairs of the one ormore mounting holes such as 148 and 149, 158 and 159, 168 and 169, and178 and 179 match up or line up between the front plate 104 and the backplate 106. In some embodiments, the camera housing 102 can include acamera housing gasket which may be implemented as the camera housinggasket 364 of FIG. 3C. The camera housing gasket can be disposed betweenthe front plate 104 and the back plate 106. In one implementation, thecamera housing gasket can be a rubber gasket that can fill spacings orgaps between the front plate 104 and the back plate 106. The camerahousing gasket can prevent debris such as water, rain, or dust fromentering the camera housing 102 and contaminating the circuit boardthereafter.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, the front plate 104 maycomprise indentations 140, 150, 160, and 170 that penetrate or extendinto portions of the front plate 104 in a minus z direction of thez-axis shown in FIG. 1A with respect to the top view of the camera 100.In some embodiments, each of the indentations 140, 150, 160, and 170 mayextend into more than half of the thickness of the front plate 104 inthe minus z direction. After the indentations 140, 150, 160, and 170terminate at a plane parallel to the x-y plane along the minus zdirection of the z-axis, the one or more mounting holes 148, 158, 168,and 178 may extend through an entire remaining portion of a thickness ofthe front plate 104 in along the z-axis. The indentations 140, 150, 160,and 170 may be disposed near corners of the front plate 104. In someembodiments, each of the indentations 140, 150, 160, and 170 may includea semicircular region (e.g., 142, 152, 162, and 172, respectively)flanked by or adjacent to two planar or flat regions (e.g., 141 and 143,151 and 153, 161 and 163, and 171 and 173, respectively). In someembodiments, as shown in FIG. 1B, a y-coordinate of a junction orintersection between the semicircular region 142 and the flat region 141of the indentation 140 may match a y-coordinate of a center of themounting holes 148 and 158. A x-coordinate of a junction or intersectionbetween the semicircular region 142 and the flat region 143 of theindentation 140 may match a x-coordinate of a center of the mountingholes 148 and 168. In other words, the semicircular region 142 mayterminate at locations aligned with and offset from the center of themounting hole 148. Thus, each semicircular region 142, 152, 162, and 172may terminate at locations where the semicircular regions 142, 152, 162,and 172 intersect planes or axes connecting centers of the mountingholes 148, 158, 168, and 178. As an illustrative example, thesemicircular region 142 disposed near a top left corner of the frontplate 104 may terminate at a first location where the semicircularregion 142 intersects a plane or an axis 185 connecting the centers ofthe mounting holes 148 and 158 disposed near a top of the front plate104. The semicircular region 142 may terminate at a second locationwhere the semicircular region 142 intersects a plane or axis 180connecting the centers of the mounting holes 148 and 168 disposed near aleft side of the front plate 104. The semicircular region 152 disposedalong a top right corner of the front plate 104 may terminate at a firstlocation where the semicircular region 152 intersects the plane or theaxis 185 connecting the centers of the mounting holes 148 and 158disposed near at a top side of the front plate 104. The semicircularregion 152 may terminate at a second location where the semicircularregion 152 intersects a plane or axis 190 connecting the centers of themounting holes 158 and 178 disposed along a right side of the frontplate 104. The semicircular region 168 disposed near a bottom leftcorner of the front plate 104 may terminate at a first location wherethe semicircular region 168 intersects a plane or the axis 195connecting the centers of the mounting holes 168 and 178 disposed alonga bottom side of the front plate 104. The semicircular region 168 mayterminate at a second location where the semicircular region 168intersects the plane or axis 180 connecting the centers of the mountingholes 148 and 168. The semicircular region 178 disposed near a bottomright corner of the front plate 104 may terminate at a first locationwhere the semicircular region 178 intersects the plane or the axis 195connecting the centers of the mounting holes 168 and 178 disposed alonga bottom of the front plate 104. The semicircular region 178 mayterminate at a second location where the semicircular region 178intersects the plane or axis 190 connecting the centers of two mountingholes 158 and 178.

In some embodiments, the front plate 104 can include one or more adaptorholes 110 and a lens mount 112. The one or more adaptor holes 110 can bethreaded screw holes disposed on a flat surface at or near the top sideof the front plate 104 on which various enhancement apparatuses, such asthe enhancement apparatus 506 of FIG. 5, can be installed or mounted.The enhancement apparatuses can add additional capability orfunctionality to the camera 100. For example, a lens cleaning apparatussuch as a high pressure air stream, a wiper, or a cleaning solutiondispenser can be mounted to the camera 100 through the one or moreadaptor holes 110 to clean a lens surface of the camera 100. As anotherexample, a neural filter apparatus can be mount to the camera 100through the one or more adaptor holes 110 to alter transmittance oflight seen by the camera 100. Many variations are possible.

In some embodiments, the lens mount 112 can be a circular protrusionextending outwards from a front surface of the front plate 104. The lensmount 112 can include a threaded hole on which various types of lensescan be installed. For example, a telephoto lens, a wide-angle lens, or azoom lens can be screwed onto the lens mount 112 to change a focallength associated with the camera 100. In some embodiments, the lensmount 112 can include a lens mount gasket that seals spacings or gapsbetween the lens mount 112 and a lens installed onto the lens mount 112.The lens mount gasket can prevent debris such as water, rain, or dustfrom entering the camera housing 102 and contaminating the circuit boardthereafter. Additional features associated with the front plate 104 willbe discussed in greater detail in reference to FIG. 3B below.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, the back plate 106 caninclude one or more alignment holes 114, a connector plate 116, and anelectrical cable 118, which may include a pigtail coupled or connectedto the connector plate 116. The one or more alignment holes 114 or dowelholes can aid in aligning the camera 100 to a structure. For example, asensor structure of a vehicle, as shown in FIG. 5, can include one ormore protruding alignments pins at a certain location on which thecamera 100 is intended to be installed. In this example, the camera 100can be aligned to the sensor structure by resting the one or morealignment holes 114 onto the one or more protruding alignment pins priorto securing the camera 100 to the sensor structure through the one ormore mounting holes 148, 158, 168, and 178, and/or 149, 159, 169, and179. The one or more alignment holes 114 thus ensure that the camera 100will be installed at its intended location without additional alignment.In some cases, the one or more alignment holes 114 can improve alignmentstability of the camera 100. For example, the one or more alignmentholes 114 can improve alignment stability by preventing the camera 100from shifting or drifting out of place once installed. In someembodiments, the one or more alignment holes 114 or dowel holes may be 3mm in diameter. In some embodiments, the one or more mounting holes 148,158, 168, and 178 may be fitted with M4 screws. As shown in FIGS. 1A-1B,the one or more mounting holes 148, 158, 168, and 178 can include fourholes and the one or more alignment holes 114 can include two holes.Thus, a number of the one or more mounting holes 148, 158, 168, and 178may exceed a number of the one or more alignment holes 114. In general,there can be any number of mounting holes and alignment holes. Forexample, in some embodiments, the number of the one more alignment holes114 may exceed the number of the one or more mounting holes 148, 158,168, and 178. Many variations are possible.

In some embodiments, the connector plate 116 can be a diamond shapedplate with rounded apexes. The connector plate 116 can electricallycouple or connect the electrical cable 118 to the circuit board encasedby the camera housing 102. The connector plate 116 can be secured orinstalled to the back plate 106 using one or more hexagonal head screws120 such as Allen screws. In some embodiments, a connector plate gasket128, as shown in FIG. 1C, can be disposed between the connector plate116 and the back plate 106, and fastened or secured between theconnector plate 116 and the back plate 106. Similar to the camerahousing gasket 364, in one implementation, the connector plate gasket128 can be a rubber gasket that can fill spacings or gaps between theconnector plate 116 and the back plate 106. The connector plate gasket128 can prevent debris such as water, rain, or dust, from entering thecamera housing 102 through the back plate 106 and contaminating thecircuit board thereafter.

In some embodiments, the electrical cable 118 can be a coaxial cable,such as a Power over Coax (PoC) cable that transmits image dataassociated with the camera 100 to an image processing module forprocessing. In some embodiments, the electrical cable 118 may comprisehigh-speed data transmission lines and power lines. For example, in someembodiments, the electrical cable 118 may include a plurality of sets oftwisted pair wires. At least a first set of twisted pair wires maytransmit power needed to power circuit board of the camera 100 and asecond set twisted pair wire may transmit signal data. In this example,the second set of twisted pair wires may have a wire gauge higher thanthat of the first twisted pair. In general, each of the plurality ofsets of twisted pair wires may be individually shielded fromelectromagnetic interference (EMI), radio frequency interference (RFI),and electrostatic interference (ESI) using an electric sleeve or braidgrounded to a connector of the electrical cable. In one example, theelectric sleeve or braid may include tin-plated, silver-plated, ornickel-plated copper foil and glass fibers. In another example, theelectric sleeve or braid may include a combination of aluminum andpolyester or aluminum and Kapton. In another example, the electricsleeve or braid may include a laminate foil having an aluminum, apolyester, and a second aluminum layer, along with a tinned copperbraid. In some embodiments, image data associated with the camera 100may be transmitted utilizing communication protocols such as UART(Universal Asynchronous Reception and Transmission) and/or I2C(Inter-integrated-circuit). In some embodiments, the electrical cable118 can carry power needed to power the circuit board of the camera 100.For example, the electrical cable 118 can carry power required tooperate an image sensor on the circuit board. In some embodiments, asshown in FIG. 1B, the back plate 106 can be secured to the front plate104 with one or more screws 122 such as Phillip head screws.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1B, the camera 100 generally has a tall andslim profile. Such a profile may be preferable for over a more cubic orsquare profile associated with a camera with a stacked PCB architecture.In general, in autonomous vehicle applications, spaces along a width anda length of a vehicle are more limited than spaces along a height of thevehicle. For example, only a fixed number of cameras can be installedalong a width dimension at a front or a back, and along a lengthdimension at sides of an autonomous vehicle, while more cameras can beinstalled along a height dimension of the autonomous vehicle by stackingthe cameras on top of each other. Therefore, by adapting a tall and slimprofile, more cameras can be installed to a front, a back, or sides of avehicle than cameras with a stacked PCB architecture. Furthermore, sucha profile allows cameras of the camera 100 type to be arranged tightlyor compactly, thereby allowing the cameras to have similar field ofviews. Similar field of views may simplify camera alignment.

In some embodiments, the camera 100 may be sealed to an ingressprotection (IP) standard using the camera housing gasket 364 and theconnector plate gasket 128. For example the camera 100 may be watersealed to at least an IP67 standard, which certifies the camera 100 tosurvive, or be able to operate, when submerged in water at a depth ofone meter for thirty minutes. In some embodiments, the design of theconnector plate 116 may further help with IP certification. For example,by having the electrical cable 118 pigtailed directly to the connectorplate 116 and sealed by adhesive, as shown in FIG. 1C, one connector canbe eliminated from the camera housing 102. In this way, there is oneless “opening” for dust, water, or other debris to enter the camera 100.

FIG. 1C illustrates the connector plate 116 of the camera 100 inaccordance with various embodiments of the present inventions. In someembodiments, the connector plate 116 can include a grommet 126 thatcouples the electrical cable 118 to the connector plate 116. In variousembodiments, the grommet 126 can be a circular rubber with a centeropening through which the electrical cable 118 can be threaded. Thegrommet 126 can protect the electrical cable 118 from being damaged orfrayed. For example, the grommet 126 can prevent the electrical cable118 from rubbing against an orifice or an edge of the connector plate116. In some embodiments, adhesives can be applied between the grommet126 and the electrical cable 118 to seal off any spacing or gaps thatmay result as the electrical cable 118 is threaded through the centeropening of the grommet 126. In some embodiments, the electrical cable118 can be terminated to a connector 124. The connector 124, in someembodiments, can be a female connector complementary to a maleconnector. In this way, when the connector plate 116 is secured orinstalled to the back plate 106, the connector 124 can provide power tothe circuit board and carry image data out from the circuit board.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a camera system 200 in accordancewith various embodiments of the present inventions. In some embodiments,the camera system 200 can include a camera module 202 and an imageprocessing module 204. The camera module 202, in some embodiments, canbe implemented with the camera 100 of FIG. 1A-1B. The camera module 202can be configured to capture image data from a surrounding environment.The image processing module 204 can be configured to process the imagedata captured by the camera module 202. For example, the imageprocessing module 204 can perform object detection and/or recognition onthe image data to identify objects captured by the image data. Once theobjects are identified, the image processing module 204 can associate atag with each identified object. For example, the image processingmodule 204 can associate a tag labeled “vehicle” with cars, trucks, etc.identified in the image data. As another example, the image processingmodule 204 associate a tag labeled “pedestrian” with people identifiedin the image data. As yet another example, the image processing module204 can associate a tag labeled “traffic sign” with traffic lights,speed limits, etc. identified in the image data. Many variations arepossible. In general, tags can be displayed or presented adjacent toidentified objects when image data is later accessed.

In some embodiments, the image processing module 204 can highlight oroutline objects identified in the image data. For example, the imageprocessing module 204 can highlight a vehicle, pedestrian, or trafficsign identified in the image data by encapsulating the vehicle,pedestrian, or traffic sign with a rectangular or square box. In somecases, the rectangular or square box may be colored. For example, arectangular box encapsulating a vehicle identified in the image data maybe provided in red color. Many variations are possible.

In some embodiments, the camera module 202 can include an image sensor212, an image sensor processor 214, a serializer 216, and a non-volatilememory 218. The image sensor 212, the image sensor processor 214, andthe serializer 216, and the non-volatile memory 218 may be surfacemounted or soldered onto the circuit board of the camera 100. The imagesensor 212 can be a semiconductor device configured to capture photons(light) and convert the photons into a plurality of data channels suchas data pipelines, and/or data lanes comprising image data. The imagedata comprises pixel data corresponding to pixels of the image sensor212. In general, a pixel can be a circuit element of the image sensor212 that converts photons it receives or captures in a given period oftime into a corresponding electric charge such as a voltage. The photonscaptured by the image sensor 212 can be converted into the plurality ofdata channels by one or more analog-to-digital (A/D) convertersassociated with the image sensor 212. In some embodiments, the one ormore A/D converters may be 8-bit A/D converters that convert photonsinto data channels of 256 discrete representations. In particular, eachpixel data may be represented by 8-bit data of 256 discrete colorlevels) In some cases, the one or more A/D converters may be 16-bit A/Dconverters that convert photons into data channels of 65536 discreterepresentations. For example, each pixel data may be represented by16-bit data of 65536 discrete color levels. In some cases, the one ormore A/D converters may be 24-bit A/D converters that convert photonsinto data channels of over 16 million discrete representations. Forexample, each pixel data is represented by 24-bit data of over 16million discrete color levels. Many variations are possible.

In some embodiments, the image sensor 212 can be implemented using acomplementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor. In some cases,the image sensor 212 can be implemented using a charged coupled device(CCD) sensor. The image sensor 212 may have any suitable number ofpixels. The number pixels indicate a resolution of the image sensor 212.In general, the more pixels an image sensor has, the more processingtime is needed to process image data captured by the image sensor. Forexample, to reduce image processing time, an image sensor with a smallerpixel count may be preferred over an image sensor with a larger pixelcount.

In some embodiments, the image sensor processor 214 can be configured toreceive the plurality of data channels from the image sensor 212. Theimage sensor processor 214 can process the image data corresponding tothe plurality of data channels prior to outputting the image data to theimage processing module 204 for further processing. For example, in someembodiments, the image sensor processor 214 can perform high dynamicrange (HDR) processing that combines multiple image exposures in theimage data to form a HDR image. As another example, the image sensorprocessor 214 can perform motion compensation to reduce motion jittersor blurriness in the image data. As yet another example, the imagesensor processor 214 can perform various noise reductions to improveimage quality. The image sensor processor 214 may perform demosaicing,noise reduction, auto exposure, auto focus, auto white balance, andstabilizing the data, for example, by suppressing vibrations detected bygyro sensors. The non-volatile memory 218 can store instructions such asmachine codes, binary codes that can instruct the image sensor processor214 to perform the various processing discussed above. Once the imagesensor processor 214 processes the image data, the image sensorprocessor 214 can output the plurality of data channels to theserializer 216.

In some embodiments, the serializer 216 can be configured to receive theplurality of data channels processed by the image sensor processor 214.The serializer 216 can combine the plurality of data channels into asingle data channel. The serialize 216 can output the image data to theimage processing module 204 over the single data channel. In general,the serializer 216 can multiplex to combine the plurality of datachannels into a single high-speed data channel, thereby allowing thecamera module 202 to output the image data to the image processingmodule 204 over a single electrical connection or wire such as theelectrical cable 118 of FIGS. 1A-1B instead of over multiple electricalconnections with each electrical connection corresponding to a datachannel of the plurality of data channels.

In some embodiments, the serializer 216 can generate commands includinga clock signal to control the image sensor 212 and the image sensorprocessor 214. These commands can synchronize data processing operationsacross the image sensor 212, the image sensor processor 214, and theserializer 216 so that the serializer 216 can properly output the imagedata captured by the image processing module 204 and processed by theimage sensor processor 214 to the image processing module 204.

FIG. 3A illustrates a circuit board 300 associated with the camera 100in accordance with various embodiments of the present inventions. Insome embodiments, the circuit board 300 can be a printed circuit board302 with one or more exposed surfaces 309, 311, 313, and/or 315 disposedat or near its corners. In some embodiments, the one or more exposedsurfaces 309, 311, 313, and/or 315 can be exposed metal, such as copper,surfaces that can facilitate heat dissipation. For example, heat fromthe printed circuit board 302 can be dissipated or transferred away fromthe printed circuit board 302 to a heat sink such as the front plate 104through the one or more exposed surfaces 309, 311, 313, and/or 315. Insome embodiments, the printed circuit board 302 can include at least animage sensor 304 such as the image sensor 212 of FIG. 2, an image sensorprocessor 306 such as the image sensor processor 214 of FIG. 2, and aserializer 308 such as the serializer 216 of FIG. 2. Although not shownin FIG. 3A, the printed circuit board 302 can include other electroniccomponents such as memory such as the non-volatile memory 218 of FIG. 2,resistors, capacitors, and/or inductors associated with the camera 100.In general, the image sensor 304, the image sensor processor 306, theserializer 308, and other active electronic components on the printedcircuit board 302 can be powered by a voltage and current supplied tothe camera 100 by the electrical cable 118. The image sensor processor306 may be disposed in between the image sensor 304 and the serializer308 along a vertical y axis. That is, a y-coordinate of the image sensorprocessor 306 may be between a y-coordinate of the image sensor 304 anda y-coordinate of the serializer 308. The image sensor processor 306 maybe disposed in between the image sensor 304 and the serializer 308 alonga horizontal x axis. That is, a x-coordinate of the image sensorprocessor 306 may be between a x-coordinate of the image sensor 304 anda x-coordinate of the serializer 308.

In some embodiments, the printed circuit board 302 can comprise aplurality of conducting layers such as metal layers separated andinsulated by a plurality of non-conducting layers, otherwise known asinsulating layers. The plurality of conducting layers can be etched withvarious conductive tracks or traces that allow electronic componentssuch as the image sensor 304, the image sensor processor 306, and theserializer 308 to transmit and/or receive signals or otherwisecommunicate with one another. One conducting layer of the plurality ofconducting layers can be coupled or connected to the one or more exposedsurfaces 309, 311, 313, and/or 315. In this way, heat generated by theelectronic components can be dissipated from the printed circuit board302 to the one or more exposed surfaces 309, 311, 313, and/or 315through the one conducting layer. The one conducting layer will bediscussed in greater detail in reference to FIG. 4A herein.

In some embodiments, the printed circuit board 302 can include aplurality of heat conducting channels or thermal vias. The plurality ofheat conducting channels can extend from a depth direction, in adirection parallel to a z-axis, with respect to the electroniccomponents of the printed circuit board 302. In some embodiments, theplurality of heat conducting channels may be disposed corresponding to,or directly underneath, electronic components that dissipate relativelylarge amounts of heat, and not on every component. In some embodiments,the heat conducting channels may be disposed corresponding to most orall of electronic components. The plurality of heat conducting channelscan be metal, such as copper, channels or lines that can be coupled orconnected to the one conducting layer of the printed circuit board 302.For example, the plurality of heat conducting channels can extendthrough a depth of the printed circuit board 302, perpendicular to asurface of the printed circuit board 302 which lies in a x-y plane, onwhich the electronic components are disposed. The plurality of heatconducting channels may extend through the plurality of conducting andnon-conducting layers, to the one conducting layer. When the imagesensor 304, the image sensor processors 306, and the serializer 308 aresoldered onto their respective locations on the printed circuit board302, the plurality of heat conducting channels can couple or connectundersides of the image sensor 304, the image sensor processors 306, andthe serializer 308 to the one conducting layer. In this way, heatgenerated by the image sensor 304, the image sensor processors 306, andthe serializer 308 can be conducted, transferred, or dissipated awayfrom their respective undersides to the one conducting layer through theplurality of heat conducting channels. This heat can then be conductedaway from the one conducting layer to the one or more exposed surfaces309, 311, 313, and/or 315. The plurality of heat conducting channelswill be discussed in greater detail in reference to FIG. 4A herein.

In some embodiments, the printed circuit board 302 can include a thermalcompound 316 such as a thermal paste or thermal pad. The thermalcompound 316 is a substance that is thermally conductive whileelectrically insulating. In other words, when applied to an electroniccomponent, the thermal compound 316 can conduct heat generated by theelectronic component away from the electronic component to a heat sinkwhile preventing the electronic component from being electricallyshort-circuited or grounded to the heat sink. In some embodiments, thethermal compound 316 can be applied to the image sensor 304 and theimage sensor processors 306, or in some cases, to the serializer 308 todissipate heat generated by the image sensor 304, the image sensorprocessors 306, and/or the serializer 308. As shown in FIG. 3A, thethermal compound 316 can be applied to a top side of the image sensorprocessor 306 to dissipate heat generated by the image sensor process306 to the front plate 104 of the camera 100 (a heat sink). Also shownin FIG. 3A, the thermal compound 316 can be applied to an underside ofthe printed circuit board 302 (shown by dotted lines) at a locationcorresponding to where the image sensor 304 is soldered. The thermalcompound 316 applied to the underside of the printed circuit board 302can help to dissipate heat generated by the image sensor 304 to the backplate 106 of the camera 100. Although not shown in FIG. 3A, in somecases, the thermal compound 316 may be applied to a top side of theserializer 308 to dissipate heat generated by the serializer 308 to thefront plate 104 of the camera 100. The thermal compound 316 will bediscussed in greater detail in reference to FIG. 4B herein.

In some embodiments, each of the one or more exposed surfaces 309, 311,313, and/or 315 can include respective installation holes 319, 321, 323,and/or 325. The installation holes 319, 321, 323, and/or 325 can bethrough holes that can be used to secure or install the printed circuitboard 302 to the front plate 104 of the camera 100. For example,mechanical couplers such as screws can be used to secure the printedcircuit board 302 to the front plate 104 through each installation hole319, 321, 323, or 325 of an exposed surface 309, 311, 313, and/or 315.In some embodiments, the installation holes 319 and 323 may behorizontally aligned with the installation holes 321 and 325,respectively. In some embodiments, the installation holes 319 and 321may be vertically aligned with the installation holes 323 and 325,respectively. For example, the installation hole 319 may be horizontallyaligned with the installation hole 321, such that a horizontal plane 370may traverse or pass through centers of the installation holes 319 and321. The installation hole 319 may be vertically aligned with theinstallation hole 323, such that a vertical plane 368 may traverse orpass through centers of the installation holes 319 and 323. Theinstallation hole 321 may be vertically aligned with the installationhole 325, such that a vertical plane 378 may traverse or pass throughcenters of the installation holes 321 and 325. The installation hole 325may be horizontally aligned with the installation hole 323, such that ahorizontal plane 380 may traverse or pass through centers of theinstallation holes 323 and 325. In some embodiments, some exposedsurfaces of the one or more exposed surfaces 309, 311, 313, and/or 315can further include an alignment hole 314. For example, as shown in FIG.3A, the one or more exposed surfaces 309 and 315 disposed on an upperleft corner and a lower right corner, respectively, of the printedcircuit board 302 can further include the alignment hole 314. Thealignment hole 314 can be a through hole that can aid in aligning theimage sensor 304 to the lens mount 112 when the printed circuit board302 is installed into the front plate 104. The alignment hole 314 may behorizontally and vertically offset and unaligned with any of the one ormore installation holes 319, 321, 323, and/or 325. As shown, none of theplanes 368, 370, 378, or 380 traverse either of the alignment holes 314.The alignment of the image sensor 304 to the lens mount 112 will bediscussed in greater detail in reference to FIG. 3B herein.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3A, contours of each of theexposed surfaces 309, 311, 313, and/or 315 can include a semicircularregion flanked by flat regions at respective junctions. For example, theexposed surface 309 may include a semicircular region 305 flanked byflat regions 307 and 303. The exposed surface 309 may further include acurved region 301. A vertical length of the exposed surface 309, along ay-axis and measured from the flat region 307 to a top of the printedcircuit board 302 at a termination of the curved region 301, may begreater than respective vertical lengths of the other exposed surfaces311, 313, and 315. Thus, the exposed surface 309 may extend farthervertically, from a nearest horizontal top edge of the printed circuitboard 302, in a direction of the y-axis compared to how far the otherexposed surfaces 315, 311, and 313 extend from a nearest horizontal topor bottom edge of the printed circuit board 302. The exposed surface 311may include a semicircular region 355 flanked by flat regions 357 and353. The exposed surface 311 may further include curved regions 351 and359. The exposed surface 313 may include a semicircular region 365flanked by flat regions 367 and 363. The exposed surface 313 may furtherinclude curved regions 361 and 369. The exposed surface 315 may includea semicircular region 375 flanked by flat regions 377 and 373. Theexposed surface 315 may further include curved regions 371 and 379. Ahorizontal length of the exposed surface 315 may be measured along ax-axis and from where the curved region 371 terminates into a bottom ofthe printed circuit board 302 to a right edge of the printed circuitboard where the curved region 379 terminates. The horizontal length ofthe exposed surface 315 may exceed a horizontal length of the serializer308. The horizontal length of the exposed surface 315 may also exceedrespective horizontal lengths of the other exposed surfaces 309, 311,and 313. Thus, the exposed surface 315 may extend farther horizontally,from a nearest vertical right edge of the printed circuit board 302, ina direction of the x-axis compared to how far the other exposed surfaces309, 311, and 313 extend from a nearest vertical left or right edge ofthe printed circuit board 302.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3A, the image sensor 304 may bedisposed along, or centered with respect to, a central vertical axis 318parallel to a y-axis and bisecting a surface of the printed circuitboard 302. The central vertical axis 318 may divide the printed circuitboard 302 into two equal portions. The image sensor processor 306 may bedisposed along, or centered with respect to, a central horizontal axis320 parallel to a x-axis and bisecting a surface of the printed circuitboard 302. The central horizontal axis 320 may divide the printedcircuit board 302 into two equal portions. The central horizontal axis320 and the central vertical axis 318 may be perpendicular to eachother. In some embodiments, the image sensor 304 may be disposed above,or offset from, the central horizontal axis 320, the image sensorprocessor 306 and the serializer 308 on the printed circuit board 302.In some embodiments, the image sensor processor 306 may be disposed to aright of, or offset from, the central vertical axis 318. In someembodiments, the serializer 308 may be offset from both the centralvertical axis 318 and the central horizontal axis 320. Such a placementof the image sensor 304 on the printed circuit board 302 relative to theimage sensor processor 306 and the serializer 308 may have manyadvantages. For example, by placing the image sensor 304 above the imagesensor processor 306, any debris that might fall from the thermalcompound 316 applied to the image sensor processor 306 would not impedeor obstruct a field of view of the image sensor 304. Another advantageof placing the image sensor 304 above the image sensor processor 306 andthe serializer 308 is to simplify bus routing and/or trunk routing ofthe printed circuit board 302. For example, conductive traces on theprinted circuit board 302 can be routed in a substantiallyunidirectional manner in a same plane from the image sensor 304 to theimage sensor processors 306 and to the serializer 308 in accordance withthe way or sequence image data is collected, processed, and outputted.In this way, distances, such as lengths of the conductive traces, thatsignals need to travel between the image sensor 304, the image sensorprocessor 306, and the serializer 308 can be minimized, therebyimproving signal integrity.

FIG. 3B illustrates the front plate 104 of the camera 100 in accordancewith various embodiments of the present inventions. FIG. 3B provides aninterior view and a tilted view of the front plate 104. As shown in FIG.3B, the front plate 104 can include one or more platforms 329, 331, 333,and/or 335 and a camera barrel 334 on an interior surface 336 of thefront plate 104. In some embodiments, the one or more platforms 329,331, 333, and/or 335 can be raised or offset from the interior surface336 and can have a shape that substantially mirrors the one or moreexposed surfaces 309, 311, 313, and/or 315 of the printed circuit board302. In this way, when the printed circuit board 302 is installed intothe front plate 104, the one or more exposed surfaces 309, 311, 313,and/or 315 contact the one or more platforms 329, 331, 333, and/or 335,thereby maximizing contact and heat dissipation from the printed circuitboard 302 to the front plate 104. In some embodiments, the one or moreplatforms 329, 331, 333, and/or 335 can have a finish that is differentfrom the front plate 104. For example, the one or more platforms 329,331, 333, and/or 335 can have an exposed metal finish while the frontplate 104 can have a protective finish. In some embodiments, the camerabarrel 334 can extend outwards from the interior surface 336 to the lensmount 112 of the front plate 104. The camera barrel 334 may be anopening or orifice that allows photons of light to enter the camera 100through the lens mount 112.

In some embodiments, each of the one or more platforms 329, 331, 333,and/or 335 can include threaded installation holes 339, 341, 343, and/or345, respectively. Each of the threaded installation holes 339, 341,343, and/or 345 can be a threaded screw hole that is complementary toeach installation hole 319, 321, 323, and 325 of the printed circuitboard 302. The threaded installation holes 339, 341, 343, and 345 can bedisposed in such a way that when the printed circuit board 302 is placedinto the front plate 104, each installation hole 319, 321, 323, and 325of the printed circuit board 302 lines up with each threadedinstallation hole 339, 341, 343, and 345, respectively. In this way,mechanical couplers such as screws can be used to secure the printedcircuit board 302 to the front plate 104 by tightening the screws thougheach installation hole 319, 321, 323, and 325 and into each threadedinstallation hole 339, 341, 343, and 345. In some embodiments, someplatforms of the one or more platforms 329, 331, 333, and/or 335 canfurther include a circuit board alignment pin 338. For example, as shownin FIG. 3B, the one or more platforms 329 and 335 disposed near an upperright corner and a lower left corner of the front plate 104 can includethe circuit board alignment pin 338. The circuit board alignment pin 338is a protruding pin that is complementary to the alignment hole 314 ofthe printed circuit board 302. The alignment holes 314 may be offsetvertically and horizontally from each installation hole 319, 321, 323,and 325. When the printed circuit board 302 is placed onto the frontplate 104, each alignment hole 314 of the printed circuit board 302 isdisposed directly over each circuit board alignment pin 338. In thisway, an alignment of the image sensor 304 to the camera barrel 334 canbe fixed by affixing a spatial relationship between the printed circuitboard 302 to the front plate 104. In some embodiments, the circuit boardalignment pin 338 can provide alignment stability by holding the printedcircuited board 302 in place while the camera 100 experiences shock orvibration. For example, screws holding down the printed circuit board302 to the front plate 104 may become loose over time. In this example,because the circuit board alignment pin 338 “locks” or holds in placethe printed circuit board 302, any loosening of the screws would notalter the alignment of the image sensor 304 to the camera barrel 334.

In some embodiments, the front plate 104 can include one or more camerahousing assembly holes 342. The one or more camera housing assemblyholes 342 are threaded holes that can be used to assemble the frontplate 104 and the back plate 106 to form the camera housing 102. Forexample, after the printed circuit board 302 has been installed into thefront plate 104, the front plate 104 and the back plate 106 can beassembled and secured by tightening screws through the back plate 106and into the one or more camera assembly holes 342.

FIG. 3C illustrates the front plate 104 of the camera 100 with theprinted circuit board 302 installed in accordance with variousembodiments of the present inventions. FIG. 3C provides an interior viewand a tilted view of the front plate 104 with the printed circuit board302 installed. In FIG. 3C, the printed circuit board 302 has beeninstalled, mounted, or secured into the front plate 104 with one or morescrews 362 through each installation hole 319, 321, 323, and 325 of theprinted circuit board 302 and into to each threaded installation hole339, 341, 343, and 345. In some embodiments, the front plate 104 caninclude a camera housing gasket 364, which may be implemented as thecamera housing gasket described with respect to FIGS. 1A-1B. The camerahousing gasket 364 can be a rubber gasket that can fill spacings or gapsbetween the front plate 104 and the back plate 106. As discussed, thecamera housing gasket 364 can prevent debris such as water, rain, dust,etc. from entering the camera housing 102 and contaminating the printedcircuit board 302 thereafter.

FIG. 4A illustrates a cross-sectional view 400 of the printed circuitboard 302 of the camera 100 in accordance with various embodiments ofthe present inventions. In some embodiments, the printed circuit board302 can comprise a plurality of conducing layers 401, 402, and 403 whichmay be implemented as the plurality of conducting layers of FIG. 3A. Theplurality of conducting layers 401, 402, and 403 may be separated andinsulated by a plurality of non-conducting layers 404 which may beimplemented as the plurality of non-conducting layers of FIG. 3A. Theplurality of conducting layers 401, 402, and 403 can be metal layersthat conduct electric signals between electronic components of theprinted circuit board 302. For example, the plurality of conductinglayers 401, 402, and 403 can be copper layers. The plurality ofconducting layers 401, 402, and 403 can include etchings of conductivetracks or traces that route the electric signals between the electroniccomponents. The plurality of non-conducting layers 404 are insulatinglayers that do not conduct electric signals. For example, the pluralityof non-conducting layers 404 can be laminated fiberglass-epoxy layers.

In some embodiments, an electronic component 406, such as the imagesensor 304, the image sensor processor 306, or the serializer 308 ofFIG. 3A, can be surface mounted to the printed circuit board 302 via anadhesive 408 or bond. The electronic component 406 can be soldered 410onto the printed circuit board 302 to transmit and/or receive signals orotherwise communicate with other electronic components on the printedcircuit board 302 through the plurality of conducting layers 401, 402,and 403. In some embodiments, the printed circuit board 302 can includea plurality of heat conducting channels 412 or thermal vias such as theplurality of heat conducting channels of FIG. 3A. The plurality of heatconducting channels 412 are channels that can extend from underneath theelectronic component 406. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4A, theplurality of heat conducting channels 412 can be metal, such as copper,channels that run from a top to a bottom of the printed circuit board302, through the plurality of conducting layers 401, 402, and 403 andthe plurality of non-conducting layers 404. The plurality of heatconducting channels 412 can be coupled or connected to an underside ofthe electronic component 406 to dissipate heat generated by theelectronic component 406. For example, the image sensor processor 306can generate heat when processing image data captured by the imagesensor 304. In this example, thermal vias disposed underneath the imagesensor processor 306 can dissipate or transfer the heat generated by theimage sensor processor 306 away from the image sensor processor 306. Ingeneral, the plurality of heat conducting channels 412 can beelectrically and thermally insulated from the plurality of conductinglayers 401, 402, and 403. In this way, the plurality of heat conductingchannels 412 do not interfere with signal transmissions occurring on theplurality of conducting layers 401, 402, and 403.

In some embodiments, one conductive layer 414 of the plurality ofconductive layers 401, 402, and 403, which may be implemented as the oneconductive layer of FIG. 3A, can be coupled or connected to theplurality of heat conducting channels 412. The one conductive layer 414is generally disposed toward the bottom of the printed circuit board302. The one conductive layer 414 can be electrically insulated from theother conductive layers of the plurality of conductive layers 401, 402,and 403 and does not conduct electrical signals. The one conductivelayer 414 can provide a thermal pathway to further transfer or dissipatethe heat generated by the electronic component 406. For example, in someembodiments, the one conductive layer 414 can be further coupled orconnected to exposed surfaces 310 of the printed circuit board 302,which may be implemented as any two of the one or more exposed surfaces309, 311, 313, and 315 of FIG. 3A. In this example, the heat generatedby the electronic component 406 can be dissipated from the electroniccomponent 406 to the exposed surfaces 310 through the plurality of heatconducting channels 412 and the one conductive layer 414.

FIG. 4B illustrates a cross-sectional view 450 of the camera 100 inaccordance with various embodiments of the present inventions. As shownin FIG. 4B, the printed circuit board 302 can be installed to the frontplate 104 and disposed between the front plate 104 and the back plate106 of the camera 100. The printed circuit board 302 can further includea thermal compound 316. The thermal compound 316 can be applied to a topsurface of the image sensor processor 306 and an underside surface ofthe printed circuit board 302 at or corresponding to a location wherethe image sensor 304 is surface mounted. In some embodiments, a sizeand/or shape of the thermal compound 316 may match a size of the imagesensor 304 and/or the image sensor processor 306. In other embodiments,a size of the thermal compound 316 may be less than a size of the imagesensor 304 and/or the image sensor processor 306. The thermal compound316 can help dissipate heat generated by the image sensor processor 306through direct conduction to the front plate 104, as indicated by arrow452. The thermal compound 316 can help dissipate heat generated by theimage sensor 304 through direct conduction from the underside of theprinted circuit board 302 to the back plate 106, as indicated by arrow454. In addition, the plurality of heat conducting channels 412 disposedunderneath the image sensor 304 and the image sensor processor 306 canfurther dissipate the heat to the front plate 104 through the oneconductive layer 414 and the one or more exposed surfaces 309, 311, 313,and 315 of the printed circuit board 302, as indicated by arrows 456 and458.

FIG. 4C illustrates a cross-sectional view of the printed circuit board302 of the camera 100, showing a mechanism of improving powertransmission. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4C, some conductinglayers of the plurality of conducting layers, such as the conductinglayer 402, can include power planes 470, 471, and 472. In general, powerplanes are metal layers embedded in the plurality of conducting layers.These power planes are dedicated to carrying power (e.g., voltage andcurrent) needed to operate electronic components of the printed circuitboard 302. For example, a power plane of a conducting layer can beconfigured to carry 2.8 volts and deliver this 2.8 volts to the imagesensor 304 through conductive traces of the conducting layer. In someexamples, the conducting layer 402 may include power planes 470, 471,and 472 which may be configured to carry 2.8 volts, 1.2 volts, and 0.9volts, respectively. In some embodiments, some conducting layers of theplurality of conducting layers, such as the conducting layers 401 and403, can include dedicated ground planes such as ground planes 460 and480. Similar to the power planes, the ground planes are metal layersembedded in the plurality of conducting layers that are dedicated tobeing electric grounds. In some embodiments, the printed circuit board302 can be configured such that a power plane of a conducting layer isdisposed between two ground planes of two conducting layers as shown inFIG. 4C. For example, the power planes 470, 471, and 472 may be disposedbetween two ground planes 460 and 480. Such a configuration can improvehigh frequency response of electronic components. For example, placing apower plane of a conducting layer between two ground planes reducesparasitic inductance associated with decoupling capacitors such asdecoupling capacitors 491 and 492, thereby ensuring smooth delivery ofpower from the power planes 470, 471, and 472 to electronic components.The ground planes 460 and 480 may be oversized to exceed a combinedsurface area of at least one of, or all of, the power planes 470, 471,and 472. The decoupling capacitors 491 and 492 may be coupled to theground plane 460 at one terminal and to the power planes 470 and 472 atthe other terminal, respectively. The decoupling capacitors 491 and 492may be disposed in parallel and 180 degrees out of phase, or oppositepolarity, from each other. The decoupling capacitors 491 and 492 may beconnected by a large piece of the power plane 472 rather than beingconnected by traces. Connecting the decoupling capacitors with a largepiece further reduces parasitic inductances. In this way, high frequencysignals (e.g., high speed signals) may be allocated to conducting layersthat include power planes and being “sandwiched” by two ground planes toallow for better camera electrical performance such as having a betterISO performance (e.g., sensitivity to light).

FIG. 5 illustrates a sensor structure 500 of an autonomous vehicle inaccordance with various embodiments of the present inventions. In someembodiments, the sensor structure 500 can include a light detection andranging (LiDAR) sensor 502 and a plurality of cameras 504. The pluralityof cameras 504 can be implemented with the camera 100 of FIGS. 1A-1B. Asdiscussed in reference to FIGS. 1A-1B, the plurality of cameras 504generally have a tall and slim profile that allows the plurality ofcameras 504 to be arranged in a compact arrangement. Such an arrangementallows the plurality of cameras 504 to have similar field of views andthereby simplifying camera alignment. In some embodiments, the pluralityof cameras 504 can include an enhancement apparatus 506 attached to thecameras 504 via threaded holes at the top of the front plate 104. Thethreaded holes may comprise M3 threaded holes. As discussed in referenceto FIGS. 1A-1B, the enhancement apparatus 506 can provide additionalcapability or function to the plurality of cameras 504. For example, theenhancement apparatus 506 can be a lens cleaning apparatus such as acleaning nozzle that could rotate about the enhancement apparatus 506.As another example, the enhancement apparatus 506 can additionally oralternatively include a neural filter apparatus that alterstransmittance of light captured by the plurality of cameras 504. Asanother example, the enhancement apparatus 506 can additionally oralternatively include a polarizer, or a diffractor.

In some embodiments, the sensor structure 500 may further comprise aprocessor 508 that determines torques applied by a mechanical coupler orfastener such as a screw, nut and bolt, or pin at one or more mountingholes and/or alignment holes associated with the plurality of cameras504. In response to the processor 508 determining that a torque appliedby at least one mechanical coupler or fastener deviates, by more than athreshold amount, from torques by the other mechanical couplers orfasteners, the processor 508 may output an alarm and/or command avehicle such as an autonomous vehicle to slow down. The processor 508may determine a maximum speed of the vehicle such that a vibration ormovement of any of the cameras 504 would not exceed a thresholdvibration or movement based on the applied torques of the mechanicalcouplers or fasteners, and output such a command to a separatecontroller that controls steering, braking, or driving components of thevehicle based on the determined maximum speed. The processor 508 mayinclude an artificial intelligence (AI) processor that predicts avibration or movement of any of the cameras 504 based on a speed of thevehicle and/or other road conditions such as a bumpiness, which may bemeasured by an International Roughness Index (IRI). The AI processor maybe trained by previous inputs of vehicle speed, road conditions, torquesapplied, and outputs of amounts of vibration of cameras corresponding tothe inputs. The AI processor may predict a maximum vehicle speed undercurrent parameters such as predicted road conditions of a current roadand current torques applied, such that a predicted vibration of any ofthe plurality of cameras 504 does not exceed the threshold vibration.For example, the processor 508 may output a command to a controller,which may control the vehicle to stay within the determined maximumspeed during an entire duration of the route, or only exceed thedetermined maximum speed in certain emergency situations.

In some embodiments, the processor 508 may determine that a torqueapplied by at least one mechanical coupler or fastener is lower than athreshold torque. The threshold torque may be a minimum torque, at agiven vehicle speed and/or road conditions, such that the vibration ofany of the plurality of cameras 504 would not exceed a thresholdvibration. In response to such a determination, the processor 508 mayoutput an alarm and/or command the vehicle to slow down. The processor508 may determine a maximum speed such that a vibration or movement ofany of the plurality of cameras 504 would not exceed a thresholdvibration or movement based on the current applied torques of themechanical couplers or fasteners, and output a command to a controller,which may control the vehicle based on the determined maximum speed. Insome embodiments, prior to the vehicle starting a route, the processor508 may estimate or determine a predicted bumpiness or other drivingconditions of the route, such as an IRI, and determine whether themechanical couplers or fasteners are tightened adequately such that anamount of vibration or movement of any of the plurality of cameras 504would not exceed a threshold vibration or movement during the route. Thepredicted bumpiness or other driving conditions of the route may beobtained using satellite maps, historical data, or other data. Upon anegative determination, the processor 508 may output a warning and/or apredicted amount by which one or more of the mechanical coupler orfastener should be tightened.

The techniques described herein, for example, are implemented by one ormore special-purpose computing devices. The special-purpose computingdevices may be hard-wired to perform the techniques, or may includecircuitry or digital electronic devices such as one or moreapplication-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field programmablegate arrays (FPGAs) that are persistently programmed to perform thetechniques, or may include one or more hardware processors programmed toperform the techniques pursuant to program instructions in firmware,memory, other storage, or a combination.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram that illustrates a computer system 600 uponwhich any of the embodiments described herein may be implemented. Thecomputer system 600 includes a bus 602 or other communication mechanismfor communicating information, one or more hardware processors 604coupled with bus 602 for processing information. A description that adevice performs a task is intended to mean that one or more of thehardware processor(s) 604 performs.

The computer system 600 also includes a main memory 606, such as arandom access memory (RAM), cache and/or other dynamic storage devices,coupled to bus 602 for storing information and instructions to beexecuted by processor 604. Main memory 606 also may be used for storingtemporary variables or other intermediate information during executionof instructions to be executed by processor 604. Such instructions, whenstored in storage media accessible to processor 604, render computersystem 600 into a special-purpose machine that is customized to performthe operations specified in the instructions.

The computer system 600 further includes a read only memory (ROM) 608 orother static storage device coupled to bus 602 for storing staticinformation and instructions for processor 604. A storage device 610,such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or USB thumb drive (Flash drive),etc., is provided and coupled to bus 602 for storing information andinstructions.

The computer system 600 may be coupled via bus 602 to output device(s)612, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or LCD display (or touch screen),for displaying information to a computer user. Input device(s) 614,including alphanumeric and other keys, are coupled to bus 602 forcommunicating information and command selections to processor 604.Another type of user input device is cursor control 616. The computersystem 600 also includes a communication interface 618 coupled to bus602.

Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the presentspecification and claims, the word “comprise” and variations thereof,such as, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open,inclusive sense, that is as “including, but not limited to.” Recitationof numeric ranges of values throughout the specification is intended toserve as a shorthand notation of referring individually to each separatevalue falling within the range inclusive of the values defining therange, and each separate value is incorporated in the specification asit were individually recited herein. Additionally, the singular forms“a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearlydictates otherwise. The phrases “at least one of,” “at least oneselected from the group of,” or “at least one selected from the groupconsisting of,” and the like are to be interpreted in the disjunctive(e.g., not to be interpreted as at least one of A and at least one ofB).

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of thephrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various placesthroughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to thesame embodiment, but may be in some instances. Furthermore, theparticular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined inany suitable manner in one or more embodiment.

A component being implemented as another component may be construed asthe component being operated in a same or similar manner as the anothercomponent, and/or comprising same or similar features, characteristics,and parameters as the another component.

As used herein, the term “or” may be construed in either an inclusive orexclusive sense. Moreover, plural instances may be provided forresources, operations, or structures described herein as a singleinstance. Additionally, boundaries between various resources,operations, program modules, engines, and/or datastores are somewhatarbitrary, and particular operations are illustrated in a context ofspecific illustrative configurations. Other allocations of functionalityare envisioned and may fall within a scope of various embodiments of theinvention. In general, structures and functionality presented asseparate resources in the example configurations may be implemented as acombined structure or resource. Similarly, structures and functionalitypresented as a single resource may be implemented as separate resources.These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvementsfall within a scope of embodiments of the invention as represented bythe appended claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, tobe regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

The computer readable storage medium is a form of non-transitory media,as that term is used herein, and can be any tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. The computer readable storage medium, and non-transitorymedia more generally, may include non-volatile media and/or volatilemedia. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of a computerreadable storage medium includes the following: a portable computerdiskette such as a floppy disk or a flexible disk; a hard disk; a randomaccess memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmableread-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory(SRAM), or any other memory chip or cartridge; a portable compact discread-only memory (CD-ROM); a digital versatile disk (DVD); a memorystick; a solid state drive; magnetic tape or any other magnetic datastorage medium; a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards orraised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon orany physical medium with patterns of holes; any networked versions ofthe same; and any suitable combination of the foregoing.

Non-transitory media is distinct from transmission media, and thus, acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire. Non-transitory media, however, can operate inconjunction with transmission media. In particular, transmission mediamay participate in transferring information between non-transitorymedia. For example, transmission media can include coaxial cables,copper wire, and/or fiber optics, including the wires that include atleast some of the bus(es). Transmission media can also take the form ofacoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave andinfra-red data communications.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network(LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and/or a wireless network. The networkmay include copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers,wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computersand/or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a LAN or a WAN, or the connection may be madeto an external computer (for example, through the Internet using anInternet Service Provider (ISP)). In some embodiments, electroniccircuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, FPGAs,or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A sensor device comprising: a housingcomprising a front plate and a back plate, wherein: the front platecomprises one or more first mounting holes; and the back plate comprisesone or more second mounting holes and alignment holes; and a printedcircuit board encased by the housing, wherein the printed circuit boardcomprises, on a surface of the printed circuit board: an image sensor;an image sensor processor; and a serializer; and in an interior of theprinted circuit board: conducting layers interposed between insulatinglayers, wherein the conducting layers comprise: a first layer comprisinga first ground plane; a second layer comprising power planes, the powerplanes comprising metal layers, wherein one of the power planes isconnected to a decoupling capacitor that carries power to the imagesensor, the image sensor processor, or the serializer; and a third layercomprising a second ground plane.
 2. The sensor device of claim 1,wherein the front plate further comprises an indentation that extendsinto a portion of the front plate in a depth direction, wherein theindentation is disposed at a corner of the front plate.
 3. The sensordevice of claim 2, wherein the indentation further comprises asemicircular region flanked by a first flat region at a first junctionand a second flat region at a second junction.
 4. The sensor device ofclaim 3, wherein: the first junction intersects a first plane traversinga center of a first mounting hole and a second center of a secondmounting hole; the second junction intersects a second plane traversingthe center of the first mounting hole and a third center of a thirdmounting hole; and the second plane is perpendicular to the first plane.5. The sensor device of claim 2, wherein the first mounting hole, thesecond mounting hole, and the third mounting hole are through holes thatextend, in the depth direction, through a remainder of the portion ofthe front plate starting from a plane at which the indentation isterminated.
 6. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein: the front platefurther comprises a camera barrel; the camera barrel extends outwardfrom the front plate and includes a lens mount; and the lens mount is athread hole on which a lens is attached.
 7. The sensor device of claim6, wherein the lens includes at least one of a telephoto lens, awide-angle lens, or a zoom lens.
 8. The sensor device of claim 1,wherein the front plate further comprises a gasket to seal a gap betweenthe back plate and the front plate.
 9. The sensor device of claim 1,wherein the front plate further comprises threaded holes disposed at atop of the front plate.
 10. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein theback plate: is coupled to a connector plate to which a Power over Coax(PoC) cable is pigtailed; and comprises a gasket to seal a gap betweenthe connector plate and the back plate.
 11. A sensor device comprising:a housing; and a printed circuit board encased by the housing, theprinted circuit board comprising, on a top surface: an image sensor; animage sensor processor; and a serializer, wherein the image sensorprocessor is disposed in between the image sensor and the serializeralong a vertical axis; and in an interior of the printed circuit board:conducting layers interposed between insulating layers, wherein theconducting layers comprise: a first layer comprising a first groundplane; a second layer comprising power planes, the power planescomprising metal layers, wherein one of the power planes is connected toa decoupling capacitor that carries power to the image sensor, the imagesensor processor, or the serializer; and a third layer comprising asecond ground plane.
 12. The sensor device of claim 11, wherein theimage sensor is: centered with respect to a central vertical axis thatbisects a surface of the printed circuit board into two equal portions;and offset from a central horizontal axis that: bisects the surface ofthe printed circuit board into two equal second portions; and isperpendicular to the central vertical axis.
 13. The sensor device ofclaim 11, wherein: the image sensor processor is disposed in between theimage sensor and the serializer along a horizontal axis; and ahorizontal distance between a center of the image sensor processor andthe image sensor is greater than a horizontal distance between a centerof the serializer and the image sensor processor.
 14. The sensor deviceof claim 11, wherein the printed circuit board further comprises exposedsurfaces disposed at corners of the printed circuit board, the exposedsurfaces transferring heat generated by the image sensor, the imagesensor processor, and the serializer to the housing, and each of theexposed surfaces comprising an installation hole and at least one of theexposed surfaces comprising an alignment hole, wherein a first of theexposed surfaces extends farther vertically along the vertical axiscompared to at least one other exposed surface.
 15. The sensor device ofclaim 14, wherein a second of the exposed surfaces extends fartherhorizontally along a horizontal axis compared to at least one otherexposed surface.
 16. The sensor device of claim 14, wherein theinstallation hole at each of the exposed surfaces is: horizontallyaligned such that a horizontal plane traverses a center of theinstallation hole and a second center of a second installation hole; andvertically aligned such that a vertical plane traverses a center of theinstallation hole and a third center of a third installation hole. 17.The sensor device of claim 14, wherein the alignment hole is offsethorizontally and vertically from the installation holes.
 18. The sensordevice of claim 14, wherein one of the exposed surfaces extends ahorizontal distance longer than a horizontal length of the serializer.19. The sensor device of claim 14, wherein each of the exposed surfacescomprise a semicircular region flanked by a first flat region at a firstjunction and a second flat region at a second junction.
 20. The sensordevice of claim 1, wherein the second layer is disposed between thefirst layer and the third layer, and widths of the first ground planeand the second ground plane exceed a combined width of the power planes.